A Toast
by Galya
Summary: After the final four words, one of the Gilmore's is pregnant. But it's not Rory. AU for AYITL. One Shot.


A/N: A little fun twist.

* * *

Seated in the Gazebo, as the sun rose in the distance, the Gilmore Girls found themselves in a haze.

"I just want to remember it all," Rory sighed as she sipped the champagne in her glass.

"Fodder for you book? Crystalline description of that fateful day. The day my mother, Lorelai Gilmore, left me for that man!" Lorelai teased.

"Chapter One. What's a girl to do when her mother is joined in Holy Matrimony, with a man she is clearly marrying for his burgers?"

"Is that a euphemism?" Lorelai laughed, having barely touched her champagne.

"No."

"Can it be a euphemism?" she asked a little too energetically.

"For what!?"

"Beef patties, baby. Deep fried. Footlong hot dog. Sauerkraut. Dirty."

"I worry about you sometimes."

"Now," Lorelai sighed. "I'm a little turned on and hungry."

Rory shook her head amused and finished her glass of champagne. They sat in amicable silence for a moment.

"Rory?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm pregnant."

Quickly, Rory set down her glass. "Hold on...Really? Wait...what!?"

Lorelai was now giggling, her arms wrapped around her stomach in glee.

"Is this a bit?"

"No bit kid. We have entered the No Bit Zone. No exits for twenty miles."

A goofy smile spread across Rory's face. She couldn't help but join in her mother's amusement and scooted forward, embracing her. "Does Luke know?"

"Yes, but…," Lorelai began with gravitas. "He's not the father. It is true! After our meeting in California, Ranger...Bob or whatever and I made a true connection."

Rory nodded with a smirk. "At least the child will be born with a good sense of direction because you suck."

"I told him last night," Lorelai stated, Dropping the act for a moment. "Right before the vows. I thought it only fitting he knew he was taking on a wanton woman."

Rory got to her feet. "We should celebrate!"

Instinctively, Lorelai got to her feet as well. "Funny enough, in four hours, I will be doing just that."

"No, we should go somewhere. Get crazy! Or at least get coffee or something."

"Caffeine is bad for the baby."

"Okay, then a toast," Rory announced reaching for the champagne bottle, without thinking.

"Alcohol, so I've been told, is also bad."

"Well...then I'm out."

Lorelai put her arm around her grown daughter. "It's fine. I am beyond happy and so excited to be sharing it with you and Ranger Steve."

"Bob."

They linked arms and Rory began to escort her mother down the gazebo steps. "Luke must be so heartbroken it isn't his."

Lorelai shrugged. "He was very understanding. He likes the outdoors as well. In fact, I think he will divorce me for Ranger Harry."

"You aren't even trying anymore."

….

The reception was in full swing. Guests were cheering in the center of town for Kirk. Breathing rapidly, he bowed with Petal in his arms. They had just successfully performed the dance to 'The Time of My Life'. The lift at the end had gained a thunderous applause. Rory was in the Gazebo, talking Jess' ear off about her book as Lorelai had lured her mother to the center table.

"What is it?" Emily sighed, drink in hand. "I was having a nice conversation about Hawkeye with that Keifer fellow."

"Damnit!" Lorelai grunted playfully, only confusing her mother. "I need to tell you something. Well, Luke and I need to tell you something."

With crossed arms, Emily sat at the table, an eyebrow raised. "What...are you pregnant?"

Luke met Lorelai's eyes, then they both faced Emily and nodded.

"You are telling me the truth? This is isn't like one of those not so funny Oscar jokes when that James hosted with the greasy hair?"

"I'm serious," Lorelai said with a calm smile.

Emily's eyes were wide and a flicker of a smile came to her lips, then dropped. "But you're so old!"

"Mom!"

"It's too dangerous at your age."

"Miss Celine is like a thousand and had two kids later in life!"

Luke interjected as calmly as he could. "We will take every precaution, Emily."

"I don't think you've thought this through," Emily insisted. "How will you be able to keep up with it? Play with it? When you had Rory you were so young you practically grew up together. But now...you will be exhausted. You will be in your sixties when it graduates and your seventies when it starts a family. Although considering your rate...your nineties."

Lorelai pursed her lips. "Thank you mother for your congratulations."

"I just don't want you to regret this," Emily replied simply.

"Emily," Luke said with a deep breath. "We do not regret this baby in any way."

The thoughts churned in the matriarch's mind as she observed them. "How far along are you?"

"A month," Lorelai huffed. "Started feeling it when I was doing Wild."

"What is doing Wild?"

"I went out to California to do a long hike to try to figure out some things. And...I did."

Emily smirked. "You hiked?"

"I attempted."

"We took you to Tahoe when you were fourteen and you conned a college skiing team to carry you up to the ski lift because you couldn't handle the ten foot trek."

"I attempted!"

By this point Rory had made her way over slightly tipsy. Immediately she noticed the all too familiar tension between the women."Everyone having fun?"

"Absolutely," Lorelai snapped. "Just like when I broke my leg at work, only this time I don't get oxycodone."

Emily rolled her eyes, reached for her glass and stood up, her voice was calm. "To my dramatic daughter, who always does whatever she wants to, anyway. I only want you to be safe, believe it or not. It's what mother's do."

Lorelai looked away her eyes stinging. Rory smiled and raised up her glass.

"To being a mom," Emily concluded. "Congratulations."

Luke and Rory repeated what Emily said softly, as Lorelai finally met her mother's eyes.

Awkwardly, Lorelai raised her glass of Sprite. "To being a mom."


End file.
